News
Manchester Arena bomb survivor takes paramedic who saved his life to watch Man United at Wembley
The two became friends following a documentary for TV covering the atrocity
A survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing has taken the paramedic who saved his life to watch Man United at Wembley, and will also take him to the final.
Martin Hibbert, 46, who was left paralysed after the attack took Paul Harvey to watch Manchester United’s FA Cup semi-final victory at Wembley and will also take him to watch the final in June.
The United supporters will go again together to watch their beloved team take on Manchester City in an epic derby for the FA Cup final on Saturday, June 3rd.
Martin was left paralysed following 22 shrapnel wounds which severed his spinal cord. The shrapnel also left his daughter Eve with a devastating brain injury.
Martin now campaigns for people living with disabilities and has found a life-long friend in the paramedic who saved his life in the attack on the night of May 22nd 2017.
Shortly after the penalty shoot-out victory, Martin tweeted a picture of the two friends grinning broadly.
He told the Manchester Evening News: “It was a great day. It was the first time Paul was at Wembley as well. It was a really good day.”
Martin, a long-standing Red and season ticket holder, watched on with his friend Paul as United beat Brighton in a penalty shoot out.
Their club’s victory means they can now head to London again to watch the first-ever Manchester derby FA Cup final at Wembley stadium together.
Martin credits Paul with saving his life as he made the crucial decision to take him to Salford Royal Hospital to their trauma unit where he was administered a blood-clotting agent which prevented him from bleeding to death.
He said that had Paul followed instructions and taken him to Wythenshawe Hospital he would have died.
The two became friends following a documentary for TV covering the atrocity — where they also learned they were both United fans.
Martin had Paul as a guest for a number of games at Old Trafford and promised, if they ever got there, he would take Paul to an FA Cup final.
Martin added: “It wasn’t just about football. It was about love and friendship and what good can come out of a bad night.”
As the Vice President of the Spinal Injuries Association, Martin climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year and has so far raised £910,000 of the £1 million target.
He is also lobbying government as he has discovered only one in three people who suffer spine injuries are referred to the charity as he was – he spent months at its clinic in Southport, one of 12 around the country.
“People are just left to rot – I find that unacceptable,” he said. Martin has already held positive talks with Tom Pursglove, the minister for disabled people, health and work.
He admitted the public inquiry into the atrocity – whose three reports were highly critical of the response of the emergency and security services – had been ‘hard to take’.
His said that since the bombing he had been back into hospital six times because his injuries left him vulnerable to infection.
“I never take anything for granted. One minute I’m OK and the next minute I can be blue-lighting it to Salford Royal with sepsis,” said Martin.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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